Washing-machine.



A. HOPMANN. WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1907. RENEWED MAR. 11, 1909.

922,900. Patented May 25, 1909.

3 SHEETS-S 1.

Rue/7757' V i/WW A. HOPMANN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1907. RENEWED MAR. 11, 1909.

922,900. Patented May 25, 1909.

QSHEETS-SHEET 2.

- [7007/07 I M/ 776 5c; W 6 J/ofmafln A. HOPMANN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED APR.15, 1907. RENEWED MAR. 11, 1909.

922,900, Patented May 25, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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SWITZERLAND.

WASHING-MA CHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1900.

Application filed April 15, 1907, Serial No; 368,404. Renewed March 11, 1909. Serial No. 482,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED HoFMANN, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Altstetten, Switzerland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines, of wluch the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a continuous o aerating washing-macl'line which is providerf with one or more bands arranged ob liquely above one another on which the linen to be washed is continually moved upward,

.mechanieally acted on, sprinkled with lye and afterward rinsed in such a manner that the soiled wash liquor flows away from the washed place and that the clean linen always comes in contact with fresh wash liquor. For the purpose of squeezing out the linen, this machine is moreover provided with re ciprocating pressure rollers as well as with hammers that are balanced. These hammers treat the linen by beating the same. They can be adjusted, as well as the rollers, according to the thickness of the linen.

The accompanying drawing shows by .way of example a mode of execution of the invention.

Figure 1. is a vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line AB of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ma-' chme, the driving mechanism at the sides being omitted.

The machine shown is provided with three endless bands a, I), 0 arranged obli uely above one an other. The linen fed into time machine at (Z is treated on these bands as well as on bands 6 andf which serve for the purpose of transferring the linen from a to b and from I) to c. The bands for transferring the linen are set in motion by the driving shaft g of the machine by means of 'a suitable driving gear (chains, toothed wheels and belting). At the ends of the chains 2' which are passed over the rollers 7t wooden hammers l? are sus-' pended above the band a and the hammer at one end of each chain is balanced by the hammer at the other end. For the purpose of'setting these hammers in motion which have to treat the linen on the band (1. by beating the same, the shafts h of the rollers h are provided with levers 72 which are connected together by means of a rod 7L3. On one of the shafts h an arm h is mounted which is joined by means of a connecting rod 7L to a crank h actuated by the main driving shaft g. Above the bands spray-pipes Z are arranged at right angles to the bands, said spray pipes being provided with openings on their lower surface in order to pass out 1 e and water on to the linen. Above the ands b and c squeezing rollers m are arranged at ri ht angles to the bands. These squeezing rol ers are each journaled in the free ends of links a which are pivotally connected with reciprocatory rods 0, 0. Of these rods, the rod 0 is connected by means of a'connecting rod 1) with a wrist pin on a wheel 10 mounted on the driving shaft of the machine and the rod 0 is connected by means of the double armed lever q with the rod 0 so that the rods 0 and o and the rollers connected therewith have a to and fro motion imparted by the driving shaft, for the purpose of cleaning the linen by squeezing the same beneath said rollers. The rollers being mounted at the free ends of the arms 12. can move up and down and can consequently adjust themselves automatically according to the thickness of the linen. In order that the bands may resist the action of the hammers and the squeezing rollers, they may be supported and strengthened in any well known manner, which is not shown.

Between the parts of the bands lying above one another are fitted receptacles r, s, t, and beneath the bands are arranged receptacles a, o, and to, which are intended to hold the lye and water, a and 7 are pressure rollers for the purpose of squeezing out the linen. Of these rollers the rollers 1 serve also for another purpose 'to be indicated hereinafter.

The mode of operation of the washingmachine described above is as follows: The pieces of linen to be washed are passed at (1 into the machine whereupon the same are moved obliquely upward. From the band l) the linen is transferred to the'bandf which passes it on to the band 0. This band again moves the linen upward obliquely and (lelivers the same clean and rinsed out to a receptacle d outside the machine. While the linen passes through the machine (without interruption) the same is continually sprinkled with lye and water and is at the same time beaten by the wooden hammers or squeezed by means of reciprocating rollers so as to secure a thorough washing of the linen. The stroke of the hammers and the length of the chains are arranged in such a manner that the hammerscan act with their whole weight on the linen.

By using obliquely ascending bands the main object is attained of causing the impure wash liquor to flow down from the squeezed Ill" linen, so that the washin is effected according to the principle of t 10 counter current, for the purpose of bringing the clean linen in contact with fresh liquor only. By placing the bands beneath one another the pieces of linen are turned in the machine so that the side of the linen which was formerl direeted downward is afterward dirccte upward and vice versa, so as to clean the linen on all sides. By means of the rollers the linen is squeezed out before leaving the machine whereas the rollers '31 are intended to hold fast long ieces of linen while theyare being squeeze for instance sheets, to prevent too large an accumulation of linen on the bands by drawin up linen from below. In order to avoid theIinen from being soiled by wash liquor which flows off the bands, rece tacles r, s, t, u, v, w, are provided, of whic r, s and t are intended to receive wash liquor which is comparatively clean and u, 'v, 'w areintendedto receive the impure Wash liquor.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,

and in what manner the same is to be perconveyer for wringing the liquid out of the clothes, and two rece tacles for each band for receiving the liqui one of which receptacles is adapted to receive the comparatively pure water from its band and the other one the remaining water.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED HOFMANN.

Witnesses:

LULU H. SoLoMoN, AUG. G. GAEGER.

evlces, a pressure roller at the discharge end of each 

